28 August 2012 5:05 PM

Britain is known as a nation of moaners, but it seems our critical reputation is undeserved, if a new study is to be believed.

When it comes to rating holiday accommodation, British travellers give the most glowing reviews in Western Europe, according to TripAdvisor.

While German, Dutch and Irish holidaymakers complain the most and give the lowest reviews of their accommodation, Britons are the fifth most positive respondents according to the website.

They are only beaten by South Africa, Israel, Russia and New Zealand and give an average score of 4.2 out of five for their hotel stays.

In contrast, Americans are placed eighth in the table, with Canadians 11th and Ireland, The Netherlands and Germany taking 12th, 13th and 14th place. Only the Chileans, in 15th place, are more negative.

And while Britons may not be as moaney as expected, they certainly are thorough. When looking at how much feedback is written by each nationality, British holidaymakers came second only to Canada, while positive New Zealanders give the least detailed reviews.

Simon Fried, a consumer behavioural psychologist, explained why the majority of consumers are prepared to share their positive experience with others.

'At first it may seem surprising that so many people selflessly contribute for the sake of the common good, but the underlying psychological urges are very strong. In the offline world when we receive a gift or someone does us a favour we are naturally compelled to give back. Now the internet has empowered us to carry this behaviour into the online world.'

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Margate's reputation as the fastest-growing art destination in the UK continues to gather momentum.

The 'kiss me quick' shops, arcades and cafes that have long since defined the Kent coastal town now share space with bijou galleries and boutiques that wouldn't look out of place in London's East End.

Native Margate girl Tracey Emin kickstarted the art revolution, championing the now thriving Turner Contemporary, on the resort's seafront. Two years ago, Emin famously stamped her affection for her childhood home on the facade of a building with a pink neon sign that read 'I Never
Stopped Loving You'. The work eventually sold for £59,000.

For visitors as interested in the Kent seascapes as they are in the art scene then an upcoming exhibition looks likely to tick both boxes.

From September 6th - 30th, the Margate Gallery showcases Untouched, a 'compilation of works that explore a unique way of capturing the natural and physical elements found and inspired by the sea'.

The photographers behind the exhibition are Benedict Johnson and Dan Bass. Bass describes himself as a 'sea swimmer from Margate' while surfer Johnson is a London boy.

24 August 2012 4:19 PM

While the Prince himself is probably still smarting from a right royal dressing down from Clarence House, Nevada's Sin City has pushed the button on a new ad campaign, based on, yep, you guessed it, the Royal's naked exploits.

The third-in-line to the throne needn't worry too much though, America's famous party city is taking his side.

A new advertising campaign will criticise the person who sold the photos of Prince Harry in all his glory, reminding holidaymakers that 'what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas'.

And the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LCVA) has also launched a website to tackle the violation of its so-called code of honour, called visitlasvegas.com/knowthecode

It is asking holidaymakers to add their names to a pledge aimed to protect others from suffering a similar public embarrassment.

The oath reads: 'I promise to follow the code of Las Vegas by not tweeting, tagging, posting, telling, whispering, emoting, defining, drawing up, writing about or in any way revealing the all-powerful What Happens Here, Stays Here® moment of me or anyone else in my party to others not on said trip during or at any time after said trip's duration.'

LCVA spokeswoman Courtney Fitzgerald said: 'Las Vegas is about adult freedom. It's important for friends to know what activities can be shared publicly and what activities are protected by the code.'

The adverts to be released around the theme read: 'For Shame! To those who traded in their pledge to their Las Vegas brethren, WE DEPLORE YOU.'

It continues: 'We are calling on you, the defenders of what happens in Vegas staying in its rightful place - in Vegas. We are asking for a shun on those exploiters of Prince Harry. We shall boycott partying with (whoever exploited Harry). No bottle service. No bikini clad girls.'

If Prince Harry is ever allowed to return to Sin City, perhaps he should ensure his party pals sign the oath before the first Jaegerbomb is poured.

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It is known as the most important meal of the day. But at a cost of almost £40 at a London hotel, you might decide it's best to skip breakfast altogether.

Holidaymakers staying at some of London's most famous hotels are being hung out to dry when it comes to their English breakfast, paying on average £27 for their bacon and eggs, according to recent research.

And guests staying at the Jumeirah Carlton Hotel, in Knightsbridge, can find themselves with a budget-busting £39 bill for their first meal of the day.

A new survey has ranked some of the capital's top hotels based on the price of their breakfasts.

In second place after the Jumeirah Carlton, The Dorchester in Mayfair charges a steep £36, while The Ritz London charges £35. And The Berkeley, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park and Claridge's also make it into the top six, with breakfasts costing £34, £32 and £31.50 respectively.

But if you're expecting something spectacular for your hard-earned cash, you could be disappointed, they mainly feature variations on the traditional artery-clogging fry-up.

23 August 2012 3:13 PM

Since her double-gold medal haul in Beijing, Rebecca Adlington has been the poster girl of the pool in British swimming. But who knew the 23-year-old harboured a passion for all things Disney?

After her bronze-winning heroics at the London Games, the Mansfield swimmer has been enjoying the perks of representing Team GB - namely a trip to Disneyland Paris with her family including boyfriend Harry Needs.

And while chatting to a camera crew at the park, Adlington revealed that the pilgrimage to Paris was an 'absolute dream' and that she 'sleeps with a Goofy teddy'.

The swim star added that while she would definitely be in Rio for the 2016 Olympics, she was unsure yet whether she would simply be watching the action from spectator stands in the samba city.

22 August 2012 1:36 PM

Small but perfectly formed, the capital's Cartoon Museum has found itself a victim of the double whammy of dismal summer weather and the sporting carnival that was the Olympics.

The museum, on Little Russell Street, a stone's throw from The British Museum, has seen visitors drop by around 40 per cent after the attentions of the summer holiday tourist were drawn east to the Games.

Chairman Oliver Preston said the museum, which features everything from Beano characters (see The Three Bears above) to examples of political satire, would fling open its doors seven days a week to try and encourage more visitors during the final weeks of the summer.

'We receive no government or local authority funding, and the museum survives on
its admission income, museum shop and charitable fundraising,' said Preston. 'Our visitor
numbers and incomehave been hard hit as the streets remained empty during the Olympics.'

Parents on the hunt for a late school holiday day out could do worse than head to the museum's Animal Crackers exhibiton which includes family favourites including Peppa Pig, Gnasher and Simon's Cat.

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21 August 2012 10:37 AM

If you spent a large chunk of the Olympics staring at your computer screen with your finger poised on the mouse, eagerly anticipating the latest ticket release on the official London 2012 website, you’ve probably had your fill of erroneous alerts and error messages. But it seems this is to be the summer of frustration and fruitless online searches.

The online search and listings for the annual Open House London 2012 were due to go live on Thursday last week but the website quickly crashed due to a huge surge of users hoping to book tickets in advance for the most popular venues.

Organisers issued an apology and assured people the site would be up and running by lunchtime the next day only to then push the launch date back further to Monday at noon.

It seems the server doesn’t like Mondays particularly either and users were greeted with yet another message yesterday lunchtime warning them that the site had once again been ‘overloaded’ and bookings had been suspended ‘pending further notice’.

The organisers have blamed an unprecedented demand and have pointed out that only 10 per cent of buildings are pre-bookable while the vast majority operate a queuing policy on the day.

Tickets for buildings such as Tower 42 and Heron Tower will now be awarded via a ballot. People have been asked to email their name and address to tower42@open-city.org.uk and herontower@open-city.org.uk respectively and will be notified of their time slot on 3 September if they’re successful (maximum two people per application).

And those who prefer to rely on the old-fashioned method of searching the listings can pick up a copy of the printed programme at participating London libraries for £6.50 or order it online on the Open City website: http://www.open-city.org.uk/catalog/.

Now in its 20th year, the event will see over 750 buildings open their doors to the public for free on 22 and 23 September, along with various walks, jogs, cycle rides and tours taking place across the capital.

Highlights this year include 30 St Mary Axe (a.k.a. the Gherkin), Heron Tower and Tower 42, rides on the new Emirates Airline cable car, boat tours to the Thames Barrier and events showcasing the regeneration of areas surrounding the Olympic Park.

The frazzled website staff say they hope to finally get the search and listings up and running at some point today. Visit www.openhouselondon.org.uk (just don’t all log on at once!).

07 August 2012 2:57 PM

And that certainly seems to be the case this week in the, erm, wild world of zipwires.

You might think that the image of a slightly paunchy blonde-haired man hanging several metres in the air – having somehow stalled on what is supposed to be an adrenaline ride – would be enough to put most people off the idea of flying across the sky on a metal cable.

But where there is notoriety there is exposure. And Boris Johnson’s recent mishap with an ‘Olympic’ zipslide in Victoria Park is reason enough for one adventure-break firm to give customers the opportunity to follow in the Mayor of London’s dangling footsteps.

Sort of.

Based at Betws-y-Coed, Tree Top Adventure is offering visitors the chance to take to their Snowdonia zipwire for free this weekend. Providing that they have the same name as – or are prepared to come dressed as – the UK capital’s bumbling head honcho.

So if you have the first name Boris (and have the ID to prove it) – or simply possess a through-a-hedge-backwards blonde wig left over from an old Eurovision fancy-dress night that you want to give another outing to – then this could be your moment.

It is, however, worth pointing out that participants are not required to halt mid-ride or flail about with their legs kicking to the general amusement of anyone standing below.

Prices start from £20 per adult for those not blessed with this moniker of titans. More information at www.ttadventure.co.uk.

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There hasn’t been much in the way of balmy weather this summer but if you’ve got yourself all hot and bothered cheering on Team GB, cool off at the King's Cross Ice Cream Festival.

The free two-day event will showcase the best ice creams in London and the South East and the best ice cream makers in the region will be on hand to talk about their processes and secrets, including nitrogen ice cream specialist Mad Cap Charlie and Shepherds of Herefordshire who make award-winning ice cream from sheep’s milk.

The festival will also celebrate the history of ice cream by paying homage to Carlo Gatti who brought the summer treat to England in 1851. The entrepreneur sold gelato from his home in King’s Cross for one penny, coining the phrase the ‘penny lick’.

Visitors will learn how ice cream is made from the cow (or goat, or sheep) to the cone and you’ll be able to help to milk one of the cows in a petting farm or make ice cream using the latest nitrogen technology.

There'll also be the chance to take part in ice cream art and build a sandcastle on the Granary Square beach.

The event is free and takes place in Granary Square, King’s Cross from 11am to 6pm on the Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 September.